Lesson Materials

Per Class

• computer and projector

• chart paper

• markers

Per Group

• calculator (optional)

• Sunny Day: Sample Data for Colorado Springs (optional)

• Cloudy Day: Sample Data for Colorado Springs (optional)

• 2 thermometers

• 1 light meter

Per Student

• science notebook

• clipboard (optional)

Prep

Review 

• Lesson Plan

• Slides

Prepare 

• Setup: Gather thermometers and light meters for each group of students. Ensure the equipment works, the unit of measure for temperature is set to Fahrenheit, and the unit of measure for light is set to lux. If you have a set of class clipboards, it may be helpful to have students use them for data collection outside.

• Notes for during the lab: This lesson includes collection of sunlight and temperature data outside. The data are best collected on a sunny or partly sunny day when ground surfaces are exposed to sunlight. Data collected on very cold or cloudy days often yields results that do not show much of a difference between the ground and the air, as ground surfaces do not absorb as much solar radiation; instead, the energy transfer stabilizes, yielding temperature data that are nearly the same. If the weather is not optimal for data collection, the class can use data from a previous year or use Sunny Day: Sample Data for Colorado Springs and Cloudy Day: Sample Data for Colorado Springs. These sample data sets highlight temperature differences between days when there is abundant solar radiation versus days when there is not, and the ground and air temperatures equalize.

• Safety: Direct students to collect data in the safe areas around the school grounds.

• Storage: To prolong the battery life, consider removing batteries from the devices.